Basin countries Sri Lanka Surface area 2.639 km² | Average depth 13 ft (4 m) | |
 | ||
The lake, an artificial reservoir, is thought to have been constructed in the 3rd Century BC, either by Mahanaga of Ruhuna or his successor Yatala Tissa of Ruhuna, in order to irrigate paddy lands and supply water to the flourishing city of Tissamaharama.
Map of Tissa Lake, Sri Lanka
The lake was restored in 1871 . The embankment (or bund) on the southern shore supports the Tissa-Kataragama road (B464), which is lined by old Indian rain trees planted by the British to provide shade.
References
Tissa Wewa (Tissamaharama) Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA